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More than half of EU countries ask for GMO opt-out

Maize field. More than half of EU member states want to be able to ban growth of genetically modified maize on (part of) their territory. (Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT))

By PETER TEFFER

BRUSSELS, TODAY, 08:46
More than half of the European Union’s member states have requested to be allowed to ban genetically modified crops on their territory, including Germany and France.
According to the latest count by the European Commission on Thursday (1 October), 15 of the EU’s 28 member states have filed for an opt-out, ahead of a Saturday (3 October) deadline, a spokesperson told AFP.

The countries are using new EU rules that came into force last April, which allows them to ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their soil, even if that GMO has the required EU-wide stamp of approval.